Balinese Names | Title And Casta

The Balinese names which come from the Sudra caste basically only have four names.

The first child is called WAYAN .

The second child is called MADE

The third is called NYOMAN

The fourth is called KETUT

And fifth, sixth, seventh eighth and ninth? Well, they’re WAYAN, MADE, NYOMAN, KETUT AND WAYAN AGAIN. It is very simple and surprisingly, not confusing although it actually doesn’t make their names any easier for westerners to remember. (Now was he another MADE OR KETUT?) Which Nyoman was that? In fact, there are a few variations on this- first born boys are sometimes called GEDE and first-born girls PUTU; the second child can be KADEK, the third KOMANG.

The Balinese also have a series of titles which depend on caste and gender :

The BRAHMANAS have the prefix IDA BAGUS (male) and IDA AYU (female).

THE WESIA the main caste of the nobility, are GUSTI NGURAH or DEWA GEDE (male, or GUSTI AYU or DEWA AYU (female):

THE SATRIA caste are COKORDE (male) or ANAK AGUNG (female); while the Sudra, the general mass of the Balinese people, have only the first name, perhaps with the prefix I (male) and NI (female).